Letters to the editor: April 24

A belated thanks to a mechanic in Lafayette

The year is 1965. I'm a senior at DePauw University who has pawned everything owned to buy an old Triumph TR-3. Parents disapprove, but we are on outs so I prevail.

Driving to Greencastle from Chicago, my car, loaded with all my possessions, catches fire. I pull over to a drug store in Lafayette, and they provide me an extinguisher. Car is dead. My roommate collects me and my things.

The rest of the story is one I've told for many years.

In Greencastle, I pick a garage at random out of a phone book. The garage owner retrieves my car, number one. Number two, he cruises Lafayette until, amazingly, he finds another TR-3, at which point he copies the wiring harness (which had melted) and hand-wires a new one. I had zero money and probably whined away when he charged me - $65.

Dear sir, you may not be alive, but I was young and an ignoramus, not appreciating your generous spirit and amazing work: I never thanked you enough.

There, almost 50 years later - too late, I know, but I never forgot.

Jeff Gough

El Cerrito, Calif.

Teaching about leadership does not come down to pretty feet

I read the April 21 article, "With help from dad, first-time pageant contestant focuses on confidence," with great dismay. The piece suggests that participation in a pageant is a good way for girls to build leadership skills. As the mother of a 6-year old boy, I can say with certainty that I have never encouraged him to have "pretty feet" (i.e., standing like a model) or "poise." We talk regularly about the importance of hard work, persistence, grit, cooperation, empathy, kindness, doing the right thing even when others aren't, and speaking out if someone is not being treated with respect and dignity. He practices his piano, plays chess, plays soccer and baseball, and loves to do math. Working on pretty feet is not a part of his busy schedule.

As a fairly new department head at Purdue University, I have had the opportunity to participate in several leadership training workshops. Not once have we discussed pretty feet or poise. As a society we should encourage girls to stand up and speak out, not to practice standing and turning like models.

Rosalee Clawson

Lafayette

Just another liberal newspaper take on Boy Scouts' policies

The editorial in the April 23 J&C, "Only halfway there with Boy Scouts' gay policy," further solidifies the very liberal stance mainstream media has on virtually every topic in today's world. If an organization doesn't condone one's actions or beliefs they won't be admitted in the "club." Leave it alone.

The Boy Scouts want to be morally straight. It's in the organization's creed, so leave it be. You have to be "invited" to be in the Masonic lodge. Why not editorialize about that?